Pragmatic Language IEP Goals: 38 Measurable Examples for Speech Therapy + Social Communication

As parents, advocates and teachers, we know how important communication is. And pragmatic language is a big piece of that. It’s how our kids use language to communicate and connect with other people in real-life situations.

Pragmatic language skills can include knowing when to take a turn in conversation, understanding nonverbal cues, figuring out what someone really means, staying on topic, asking for clarification and knowing what to do when a conversation goes sideways. Because, let’s face it, even adults aren’t exactly knocking it out of the park with this stuff all the time.

For some students, including autistic students and students with other learning or communication disabilities, these social communication skills can be challenging. And those challenges can become much more noticeable in middle and high school, when conversations, friendships and social expectations get a whole lot more complicated.

That’s where good pragmatic language IEP goals can help. Whether you’re looking for pragmatic language goals for speech therapy, social communication goals, or specific pragmatic language goals for elementary, middle or high school students, the goal should always be the same: identify the student’s actual communication needs and build meaningful, measurable skills from there.

If you need pragmatic language goals for your IEP, this pragmatic language goal bank includes measurable pragmatic language IEP goals commonly used in speech therapy, with examples of pragmatic goals for middle school and high school students.

You can also use the list as a pragmatic language goal bank PDF to share with your IEP team or speech therapist. Good pragmatic language IEP goals should address a specific, identified communication need and include a clear way to measure progress.

Tip: IEP goals work best when paired with direct instruction. If you’re looking for strategies to help students practice these skills, see Teaching Pragmatics: How to Teach Pragmatic Language Skills, which includes ways speech therapists and teachers teach pragmatic language and social communication. For parents, I have Pragmatic Language Impairment vs. Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder: What’s the Difference?

I’ve actually cut this list down a bit–a few on the list weren’t really pragmatic language or social communication….they were moving into emotional regulation territory. Which, I have a list of emotional regulation goals. The line can get blurry–if a student gets frustrated with communication, they may struggle to regulate.

Pragmatic Language Goals

A pragmatic language goal bank PDF can be helpful for brainstorming, but remember: IEP goals should always be individualized to your child’s present levels and identified needs. To make any article on my site a PDF goal bank, just click the printer icon above the article.

Here are sample pragmatic goals for speech therapy.

1. Turn-Taking in Conversations: By [date], when engaged in conversation with peers, [student] will take turns speaking and listening, waiting for others to finish speaking before responding, in [percentage] of opportunities.
2. Topic Maintenance: By [date], during classroom discussions or group activities, [student] will contribute relevant comments or questions related to the topic being discussed and stay on topic for [duration] minutes in [percentage] of opportunities.
3. Initiating Conversations: By [date], [student] will independently initiate conversations with peers or adults using appropriate greetings and conversation starters (e.g., “Hi, how are you?” “What did you do this weekend?”) in [percentage] of opportunities.
4. Following Conversational Rules: By [date], when engaging in conversations with peers, [student] will follow conversational rules such as taking turns, staying on topic, and using appropriate body language and eye contact in [percentage] of opportunities.
5. Understanding Nonverbal Cues: By [date], [student] will demonstrate improved understanding of nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice, accurately interpreting them in social interactions in [percentage] of opportunities.
6. Using Polite Language: By [date], [student] will use polite language and appropriate social phrases (e.g., “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me”) in interactions with peers and adults in [percentage] of opportunities.
7. Interpreting Figurative Language: By [date], [student] will demonstrate improved understanding of figurative language (e.g., idioms, metaphors, sarcasm) and use appropriate responses in social interactions in [percentage] of opportunities.
8. Asking for Clarification: By [date], when unsure about something said in a conversation, [student] will ask for clarification using appropriate language (e.g., “Can you please explain that again?”) in [percentage] of opportunities.
9. Using Persuasive Language: By [date], [student] will use persuasive language appropriately to express opinions, make requests, and negotiate with peers and adults in [percentage] of opportunities.
10. Making Inferences in Social Situations: By [date], [student] will demonstrate improved ability to make logical inferences based on social cues and context during interactions with peers and adults in [percentage] of opportunities.
11. Resolving Conflicts: By [date], when faced with a conflict or disagreement with peers, [student] will use appropriate language and problem-solving strategies to resolve the conflict peacefully in [percentage] of opportunities.
12. Recognizing Social Norms: By [date], [student] will demonstrate understanding of social norms and appropriate behavior in various settings (e.g., classroom, playground, cafeteria) in [percentage] of opportunities.
13. Interacting in Group Settings: By [date], [student] will actively participate in group activities and discussions, taking turns, sharing ideas, and respecting others’ opinions in [percentage] of opportunities.
14. Using Humor Appropriately: By [date], [student] will demonstrate improved ability to use humor appropriately in social interactions, understanding when and how to use jokes or funny comments in [percentage] of opportunities.
15. Empathizing with Others: By [date], [student] will demonstrate empathy by recognizing and responding to others’ feelings and perspectives in social interactions in [percentage] of opportunities.
16. Asking Relevant Questions: By [date], [student] will ask relevant questions to gather information and show interest in others during conversations and group activities in [percentage] of opportunities.
17. Adapting Language for Different Audiences: By [date], [student] will demonstrate the ability to adapt language and communication style appropriately for different audiences (e.g., peers, adults) in [percentage] of opportunities.
18. Maintaining Personal Space: By [date], [student] will demonstrate improved awareness of personal space boundaries and respect others’ personal space during social interactions in [percentage] of opportunities.
19. Using Social Scripts: By [date], [student] will use social scripts or role-play scenarios to practice and generalize appropriate social language and behaviors in various situations in [percentage] of opportunities.
20. Reflecting on Social Interactions: By [date], [student] will reflect on social interactions, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and develop strategies for enhancing pragmatic language skills in [percentage] of opportunities.

Pragmatic Goals for Communicating With Adults

I mean, I guess that these pragmatic language or social communication goals can be used with peer communication. However, in my experience as an advocate, it’s the misunderstandings with adults that most frequently result in suspensions and other disciplinary actions.

1. Asking for Clarification: By [date], when [Student] does not understand an instruction, expectation, or comment, [Student] will ask for clarification using their preferred communication method in 4 out of 5 observed opportunities.
2. Expressing Disagreement: By [date], [Student] will communicate disagreement with an adult by stating their perspective, asking a question, or requesting clarification in 4 out of 5 observed opportunities across 3 consecutive data collection periods.
3. Repairing Misunderstandings: By [date], when an adult indicates that they did not understand [Student]’s message, [Student] will use a communication-repair strategy, such as rephrasing, adding information, demonstrating, or using AAC/visual supports, in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
4. Adjusting Communication to the Listener: By [date], [Student] will identify when additional background information is needed for an unfamiliar listener and provide relevant information in 4 out of 5 structured or naturally occurring opportunities.
5. Initiating Communication With Adults: By [date], [Student] will independently initiate communication with a familiar adult to ask a question, share information, request assistance, or communicate a need in 4 out of 5 naturally occurring opportunities.
6. Recognizing Communication Breakdowns: By [date], [Student] will identify when a communication breakdown has occurred and select an appropriate strategy to clarify the message in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
7. Communicating Boundaries: By [date], [Student] will communicate a boundary or preference to an adult using their preferred communication method in 4 out of 5 naturally occurring opportunities.
8. Understanding Differences in Communication: By [date], given examples of communication with peers, teachers, unfamiliar adults, and other communication partners, [Student] will identify how the amount of information, vocabulary, or communication style may change based on the listener in 4 out of 5 examples.

Pragmatic Language Goals for Middle School

When choosing pragmatic language goals for middle school, consider the real communication demands the student faces across classes, group work, friendships and interactions with teachers.

1. Turn-Taking in Conversation — Given a structured or unstructured conversation, the student will take turns speaking and listening with peers for ___ conversational exchanges in ___ out of ___ opportunities, as measured by teacher or speech therapist data collection.
2. Topic Maintenance — During small group or peer conversations, the student will maintain the conversation topic by making relevant comments or questions for at least ___ exchanges in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
3. Interpreting Nonverbal Cues — Given visual or real-life social situations, the student will identify or respond appropriately to facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
4. Repairing Communication Breakdowns — When a listener indicates confusion, the student will clarify, rephrase, or provide additional information to repair the conversation in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
5. Asking for Clarification — When directions, conversation, or expectations are unclear, the student will ask an appropriate clarification question in ___ out of ___ opportunities, as measured by teacher or SLP observation.

Pragmatic Language Goals for High School

1. Perspective Taking — During discussions or role-play scenarios, the student will identify or explain another person’s perspective or feelings in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
2. Register and Audience Awareness — Given different social or academic situations, the student will adjust language, tone, or formality appropriately for the audience in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
3. Initiating Conversations — In social or academic settings, the student will initiate an appropriate conversation with a peer or adult using a relevant comment or question in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
4. Problem Solving in Social Situations — When presented with a social scenario, the student will identify an appropriate response or solution in ___ out of ___ opportunities, as measured by teacher or speech therapist data.
5. Participating in Group Discussions — During classroom or group discussions, the student will contribute relevant comments or questions while allowing others to participate in ___ out of ___ opportunities.

Pragmatic speech goals may address skills such as initiating communication, repairing misunderstandings, asking for clarification and communicating needs. Social language goals should focus on skills the student actually needs to communicate, participate and self-advocate in their school environment. Like all IEP goals, pragmatic goals should start with solid baseline data so the team can actually determine whether the student is making progress.

Who Can Help Teach Pragmatic Language Goals?

It can take a team to help a child build pragmatic language skills. And, like everything else with an IEP, who provides the support should depend on what your child actually needs. Here are some of the people who may be involved.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs): SLPs are often the first professionals we think of when we’re talking about pragmatic language. They can evaluate a child’s communication skills and work on things like starting and maintaining conversations, understanding social cues, asking for clarification and handling communication breakdowns. This might happen individually, in a group or even within the classroom.

Parents and Caregivers: Yep, you belong on this list too. Parents see their kids in situations the school team never will—at home, with siblings, at the store, at birthday parties and everywhere else life happens. You can share what works, what doesn’t and what you’re seeing outside of school. You can also reinforce useful communication strategies at home.

Special Education Teachers: Special education teachers can help students practice communication skills throughout the actual school day, which is important because kids need to be able to use these skills outside of a therapy room. They might work on things like taking turns, staying on topic, problem-solving or communicating during group activities. They can also work with the SLP to carry pragmatic language goals over into the classroom.

Occupational Therapists (OTs): Sometimes communication isn’t just about communication. Sensory needs, motor planning and self-regulation can all affect a child’s ability to participate and communicate. An OT may help address those underlying needs and work with the rest of the IEP team to make social situations more accessible for the student.

Behavioral Specialists: A behavioral specialist may also be part of the team, particularly when communication difficulties are connected to behaviors the team is seeing at school. But remember, behavior is communication. Instead of focusing only on stopping a behavior, the team should be looking at why it’s happening and whether the student needs a better or easier way to communicate in that situation.

Psychologists: School psychologists may help when anxiety, emotional regulation, peer relationships or other social-emotional needs are getting in the way of communication. They can also help the team better understand what’s happening underneath the surface instead of assuming a child simply “won’t” participate or interact.

You can read more here: Teaching Pragmatics: How to Teach Pragmatic Language Skills